Dental bridgework.



1. B. MORGAN.

DENTAL BRIDGEWORK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1916.

Patented May 16,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- J. B. MORGAN.

DENTAL BRIDGEWORK.

APPLICATION man MAR. 6. 1916.

pnw l 9 1 n0 1 y m d DU iv H LOW a P JAMES B. MORGAN, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

DENTAL BRIDGEWO'RK.

Application filed March 6, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES B. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have-invented new and useful Improvements in Dental Bridgework, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of dental bridgework in which opposite metal keepers are provided, on abutments (caps or inlays) on certain natural teeth, to be engaged by anchors, in proper position on the bridge carrying one or more false teeth, for retaining the bridge firmly but removably in place.

My present invention is more especially designed to afford an improved construction of the interengaging keepers and anchors of Letters Patent No. 674,449, granted to me May 21, 1901, for rendering the bridgework less rigid and more compact and stronger in the mouth of the user.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the views are presented on an exaggerated scale for the sake of clearness, Figure 1 is a plan view showing my improvement applied to the lower jaw for providing therein false molars; Fig. 2 is a similar View with the bridge removed to disclose the position and construction of the keepers; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bridge; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4, Fig. 1; 5 is a perspective view of a keeper-carrying crown; Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the two anchors; Fig. 7 is a view like that presented in Fig. 1, but showing a slight modification; Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the bridge like that shown in Fig. 3, but slightly modified to cooperate with the construction shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a broken view of the bridge of Fig. 8, in front-end elevation; Fig. 10 is a plan view of another application of the bridge work, namely for a false bicuspid and a false molar on one side of the lower jaw; Fig. 11 is a similar view with the bridge removed, and Fig. 12 is a bottom plan View of the bridge shown in Fig. 10.

. According to the showing in Figs. 1 and 7, representing the condition of the mouth for which the present class of bridgework is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1%, 1916..

Serial No. 82,422.

most frequently used, all of the teeth are missing on both sides of the lower jaw back of the first bicuspids. Metal and preferably gold crowns 13 are provided on these bicuspids, or their roots (though inlays may be provided instead). Referring more particularly to the showing on Figs. 1-6, inclusive, on the lingual surface of each crown is secured, preferably by soldering, a keeper 14 formed of a strip of suitable and somewhat springy metal, preferably high-grade clasp metal, bent upon itself to render its back or inner section concave-convex to conform to the contour of the cap to which it is soldered, and its opposite section correspondingly curved; and the free end of this last-named section of the keeper should be rounded, as represented at 14 in Fig. 5. The bridge 15 (Fig. 3), made of hard rubber, gold, porcelain, or other suitable rigid material, and carrying the false molars on its saddles, is slightly undercut or recessed at 16 near the outer forward and upper end of each saddle. In each recess is firmly secured an anchor 17, formed of a strip, preferably of the same material as used for each keeper, bent upon itself to conform its rear or inner section to the concavely curved back of the recess and render its forward or outer section concavo-convexly curved correspondingly, but oppositely of the curve of the outer section of the corresponding keeper. The ends of the outer anchor-sections should be rounded, as represented at 17 (Fig. 6), like the ends of the keepers; and for fastening each in place it is shown to be provided with a projecting tongue 17*, at which it is embedded in the mat rial of the bridge near the forward ends of he saddles. The anchors are thus so positioned on the bridge, that when the latter is applied to the aw, they will register with the keepers; and they are engaged with the latter by booking them therein. The anchors accurately conform to and snugly fit the keepers, and the construction renders the union of the bridge with the supplemented teeth in the jaw close, firm and strong. There being one keeper on each side prevents any possible inward pull on the abutments, since the one braces the other, and avoids the backward pull, occasioned by my former construction, to compensate for the downward pressure adjacent the gums under the saddles of the molars in grinding, and which tends to render sore and eventually loosen the abutment-teeth. The rounded ends of the engaging keepers and anchors allow of a slight play or rocking, upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be, to compensate for the spring of the gum when heavy pressure is produced in masticating, without exerting any compensating pull on the abutment teeth and without displacement of the anchors. Moreover, as will be apparent, in the event of shrinking or settling of the gum, the strain in masticating does not tend to open the outer sections of the keepers or straighten the corresponding sections of the anchors, but is resisted by these sections endwise without tending to open them; and my improvement thus renders the bridgework peculiarly. strong and durable, without rigidity in its position of use.

In the showing presented in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, the keepers and anchors are con structcd as hereinbefore described, but the keepers are secured on the distal surfaces of the first bicuspids, and the anchors are provided in the bridge in position to register and engage with them, in recesses 16 in the face-ends of the saddles. The purpose of this modification is to adapt my improvement for use with a bridge 15 of the kind illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein the saddles are connected by a narrow curved band 15, usually of metal and fitting in the mouth against the rear wall of the lower jaw underneath the tongue. In this form of bridge, the only points sufliciently strong to hold the anchors are the relatively massive forward ends of the saddles; and providing the anchors at these points necessitates placing the keepers to be met by them, on the distal surfaces of the abutments. The advantages of my improved construction are the same, however, in the last-named case as in that first described.

Figs. 10 to 12, inclusive, are used to show the application of my improved bridgework on one side of the lower jaw. Here the second bicuspid and second molar are provided with caps 13 to afford the abutments,

not rigid, as aforesaid, it is easily removable and replaceable, owing to the accurate and close interfitting of the engaging parts.

WVhat Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Dental bridgework comprising, in combination, an abutment, a keeper on the abutment, formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section, at which it is secured to the abutment, and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section, and a gum-saddling bridge having an anchor secured to it at a saddle end in position to register with and engage the keeper, the anchor being formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section fitting in place on the bridge and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section, said anchor-sections respectively conforming to and snugly interfitting with the corresponding sections of the keeper.

2. Dental bridgework comprising, in combination, an abutment, a keeper on the abutment, formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section, at which it is secured to the abutment, and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section, and a gum-saddling bridge having an anchor at its saddle-end in position to register with and engage the keeper, the anchor being formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section provided with a tongue embedded in the material of the bridge to secure it in place, and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section, said anchor sections respectively conforming to and snugly interfitting with the corresponding sections of the keeper.

3. Dental bridgework comprising, in combination, an abutment, a keeper on the abutment, formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section, at which it is secured to the abutment, and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section and having a round ed end, and a gum-saddling bridge having an anchor secured to it at a saddle-end in position to register with and engage the keeper, the anchor being formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section fitting in place on the bridge and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section and having a rounded end, said anchor-sections respectively conforming to and snugly interfitting with the corresponding sections of the keeper.

4. Dental bridgework comprising, in combination, an abutment, a keeper on the abutment, formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section at which it is secured to the abutment, and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section, and a gum-saddling bridge provided with a recess near the saddle-end and having an anchor secured to it in the recess to register with and engage the keeper, the anchor being formed of a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an inner section fitting in place on the bridge and an outer curved section extending over and conforming to the inner section, said 10 anchor-sections respectively conforming to and snugly interfitting With the corresponding sections of the keeper.

JAMES B. MORGAN. In presence of JOSEPH SCHWARTZ.

00pm: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. O. 

